


A Different Light AU

by InkyAnimatronic



Series: A Different Protag AU [2]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Because that's when the other was written, Bendy or Alice might hurt the OC but nothing graphic, Comments make me write more, Cursing here and there but that's really it, It'll be rated differently if it was, Norman is sad and so is Dani, Read the main one first, She's also petrified, Still only one OC in this as the main protag, no smut at all, set in 2017, this is NOT a smut fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 02:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13285149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyAnimatronic/pseuds/InkyAnimatronic
Summary: This isn't an AU of 'A Different Tune.' anymore. This is just a bonus chapter since I skipped over the Projectionist's part in the main fic.Dani meets and befriends the Projectionist. That's it really. Ignore the fact she doesn't actually have an injured arm in the main fic. This was originally an AU hence the ending.





	A Different Light AU

**Author's Note:**

> I realized that I had completely skipped over the Projectionist part in the main fic so i decided to make a AU where Dani does meet him and even becomes friends with him. 
> 
> Speaking of Norman, this is my headcanon of him:
> 
> Norman was a older man at around 40-50 years old. He had graying hair/beard and was a African American. He and his wife had three kids; a teenage daughter and two younger boys. 
> 
> I might make a post on my Tumblr, RegularPsycho13, a full list of my headcanon designs of all the human characters. It might also have more info on their families and how they reacted and lived with their family member missing.

* * *

By the time Dani made it down for the last fetch quest this angel was sending her on, she had managed to hurt herself. Granted she already had a twisted ankle but now her left arm was bleeding from being cut earlier.

Thankfully she found a towel that she was able to wrap around it but she felt like it was going to get infected and that she’ll probably need stitches. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found a single first aid kit.

“Do you see him? The Projectionist. You better stay out of his light if you don’t want any trouble. Just bring me back the pieces I need.” Alice says as Dani slowly wandered down the stairs, leaving the heart up there for last.

As she slowly walked through the ink, she listened to the recording that was sitting on a crate, keeping an eye out for the Projectionist.

She decided that between this recording and the one from the Music Department that this ‘The Projectionist’ was possibly Norman himself.

Trying not to make a sound, she walked through the ink to collect the hearts, hoping this would be fast.

Dani walked for about 20 minutes, going as slow as possible to not make the Projectionist notice her and stopping in the Little Miracle Stations when he was around. She also watched a little bit of the cartoons on the walls, finding them strangely cute.

Once she felt she had all off them, she was about to turn around and head back to the elevator when she noticed a bright light behind her.

Holding her breath, she slowly turned and saw the Projectionist coming down the hall. If she stepped out of the corner and made a run for it, she’ll be right in his path. Otherwise, she was trapped there.

She put the hearts back down and backed up against the wall, shaking and feeling very frightened and vulnerable.

Her breathing became shaky as he stepped into view and stopped for a moment. Trying not to let her breath out, she could only watch as he glanced around for a moment.

Then he started walking again. Accidentally, Dani breathed out. Making him notice her instantly.

The Projectionist ran around the small barrier between them and stopped directly in front of her. His light shining brightly on her face.

Finally, after so much, Dani began to cry. Feeling that this was it and that this giant monster was going to be the one to kill her. She kept stepping backwards, hoping she would just go through the wall like Bendy has been doing and just disappear somewhere else.

With her eyes shut tightly, she raised her hurt arm that had blood all over the towel at this point, and kept it over her eyes due to the light being too bright for her.

She choked out a sob, waiting for death to come. But to her surprise, she heard a small noise as the light dimmed enough so that she could open her eyes again.

Dani did just that, lowering her arm, and stared up at the strange Projectionist, who seemed to of looked down at her with curiosity.

They just stared at each other for a few moments, wondering what the other was thinking, and in eerily peaceful silence.

When Dani sniffled and used her right arm to wipe her tears, that’s when the Projectionist came back from whatever he was thinking about.

He let out a sad noise and raised his hand, making Dani flinch and jump backwards even though she was practically on top of the wall already.

Slowly, he rested his hand on her arm that she held at her chest.

“Hurts.” She choked out, her voice sounding strained and tired.

Norman tilted his head at this. He could still hear but unfortunately wasn’t able to speak anymore.

He also wasn’t sure why the girl seemed so afraid of him. Or why she reminded him of someone… a young person that he couldn’t quite remember. But had to of been close to her age-wise. 

Why couldn’t he remember!? Of all things…having some sort of memory is all he wants if he can’t be free from this painful body. But he doesn’t remember anything other then the Projector booth and wandering these flooded halls. Not to mention everything that _he_ did to him. Other than those things, he did remember having kids. But in his memories, their faces and bodies were blacked out with ink.

Deciding that the girl needed his help, Norman grabbed her hand and dragged her into a room and led her to a table. Once she was sitting on it, he held out his hands to tell her to ‘stay’ before turning and grabbing a blanket to put around her shoulders. She was shaking so he figured that might help her calm down and relax.

“Thank you.” She muttered, making Norman feel a little happy.

He held up his hands again and looked at a cabinet in the room with them. Going over to it, he opened it and started looking through everything inside of it, looking for something.

Unsure of what to do, Dani looked around the room. Only thing she could find interesting is that on a desk was a little Boris plushie.

‘Cute little guy.’ She thought but then became worried about the real Boris who was waiting for her. ‘I hope he’ll be okay for a little bit longer.’

She left her thoughts when she realized that Norman got back up and walked over to her with a little box. Dani was able to tell when he got closer that it was the first aid kit she was hoping to find.

Dani sighed in relief. Maybe this guy wasn’t going to hurt her. At the same time, Norman opened the box after setting it down beside her.

Feeling a little safer, she unwrapped the towel and grabbed a cloth and a bottle, hoping it’ll still work. She didn’t want to cause herself more pain so she spilled some of the liquid onto the cloth and cleaned her arm of the blood. Then she grabbed some bandages in there and wrapped it up.

“Thank you, Norman.” Dani said, suddenly.

Norman’s light got bright again and he let out a surprised noise as she held her arm up to shield her face from it. That name…he knew that name was familiar. Was it his name? How did she know it?

Knowing he simply couldn’t ask her, Norman went over to the wall and began writing on it.

_Is that my name?_

“Yes. I think so anyway.” She replied. “Thank you for not killing me.”

He gave a nod before writing again.

_Do I know you if I am Norman?_

“I’m afraid not. I don’t know anyone here.” Dani replied.

Norman made a sad noise at this. At the same time, Dani left the table and blanket and began walking around, glancing back to see if he wrote anything else on the wall.

When she approached the desk with the Boris plushie, she noticed what looked to be a picture frame on it. It was covered in thick dust though.

“Hm?” She hummed.

Going back to the rag, she decided to try and clean it. Norman noticed this and walked over to her.

Once the picture was as clean as she could make it, she noticed the family in it. A older male being one of the people. She also noticed the teenage girl in it too.  
‘This has to be Norman.’ She thought to herself and out of the corner of her eye, she watched him pick up the plushie and then point at the kids.

“Do you remember having kids?” Dani found herself asking.

Norman nodded his head and then wrote on the wall closest to them.

_Yes. I had kids. You aren’t her though. You’re different._

Dani looked back at the teenager and decided that must be why he didn’t hurt her. He sees her as a kid. Because he knew he had a few at one point but hasn’t seen them in so long.

Her heart broke when she realized they were all probably long dead. Not having a clue as to what happened to their father or husband.

“This must be you. The real you.” Dani said, staring at the picture, tears forming in her eyes again at the sad situation. “And this must be your family. I’m really sorry, Norman.”

Norman looked at the picture she had cleaned and instantly felt like he did know them. If there was one thing he did remember for sure, it was having kids. So these must be them because the girl said so.

He held the plushie tighter, getting ink all over it.

But he couldn’t remember the older woman. Maybe that was his wife? Why was this girl sorry though? What did she do?

_Why are you sorry?_

“Norman… Do you remember what year it is?” She felt stupid for asking that. How would he know how long it’s been?

_1940s?_

“No…” Dani shook her head. “It’s 2017.” 

He tilted her head, confused. 2017? How could it of been that long? Maybe she was lying. Like how _he_ did. There has to be proof.

_Prove it._

“O-Okay.” She gently put the picture back down and took her phone out.

Norman stared at the object in her hands. What was that little thing?

“This is a phone. A cell phone to be exact.” Dani said, basically reading his thoughts. “It can do more than make phone calls though.”

Unlocking her phone, she showed him some things on it.

Meanwhile, Norman watched in shock and amazement. He knew now that this had to of been the future…er present.

Norman moved back to the wall and pointed at the ‘Sorry’ question. Dani frowned and put her phone back in her pocket.

“Oh… I’m sorry because…well… your family is likely gone.” There was no good way of saying that.

His light dimmed much more than it did earlier as he thought about that. If it was 2017, and it has to be, that makes sense. But it still hurt knowing he might never see his family again. Even in the afterlife. Or Heaven if it exists. 

“Norman…?” She slowly walked up to him, afraid he might attack her.

Norman didn’t make a move. Which worried her. He did make a sad sounding noise that sounded almost like a whimper or cry. As she got closer, she noticed his lens had ink coming down, almost as if he was crying.

“I’m so sorry.” She gently put her left hand on his right arm and began to rub it. “I… I’ll try to save you. And any other employee that I can. I don’t know how or if it’s possible. But I’ll feel awful if I make it out alive while knowing you’re still trapped here.”

He light brightened again but not enough to blind her this time.

She watched as he set the plushie down and came back over to hug her. Not feeling afraid this time, she willing wrapped her arms around him and allowed him to hold her for a few minutes. The happy noises he was making told her that he appreciated the thought.

They stayed like that for a short while before he let her go and led her back to where the hearts were. After grabbing them, she started to head out of the maze, surprised that Norman wasn’t following behind her.

‘Maybe he wants to stay here. Probably safer anyway.’ She thought to herself as she headed towards the stairs.

Once at the top, she grabbed the last heart there and noticed that Boris and the elevator were gone.

“Strange…” She muttered and pushed the button.

A few moments later, it came down with one extra being inside.

“Hello sweetheart.” Bendy said, making Dani drop the hearts with a yelp and noticed Boris cowering behind him. “You and I are going to go on a different level and…chat.” He chuckled and Dani stepped back as he stepped forwards.

“Come here.” He said, holding his arms open and grin getting bigger than it already was. “Everything will be just fine… just listen to me and you won’t have to worry about that angel anymore. However, I’ll worry about your dog here if you don’t listen to me.”

Glancing at Boris, she slowly nodded before going over to him, leaving the hearts there and letting him embrace her as he pushed a button.

“Good girly.” Bendy muttered into her ear, holding the petrified girl in his arms in a tight hug. “I think this will be the start of a beautiful partnership. Don’t you think, doll?”

All Dani could do was nod, hoping she wouldn’t have to make a deal with the actual devil himself. Hell, she was still shocked that he could talk. 


End file.
